How much do your cakes cost?
The cost of a cake really does vary according to size, flavour and complexity of design. Very detailed cakes with multiple tiers, carved cakes, models and sugar flowers will cost more due to the increased amount of ingredients necessary to make them and time taken to create them. Our single tier celebration cakes start at £50 for a simply decorated 6" round vanilla sponge. I use quality ingredients in my cakes, including real butter and chocolate and this is reflected in my prices.
How will my cake be packaged?
Your cake will be presented on a ribbon trimmed cake board (unless agreed otherwise) packaged in a cake box with lid. These are all included in the price.
How do I order a cake?
Simply message me at Cakes@vandershnoodle.co.uk with your details or text me on the number provided. Please provide the date you require your cake, how many people will be eating the cake and a brief outline of the required design. I will then contact you as soon as I can to discuss your requirements further. Please do not be concerned if I do not respond immediately, as I am probably busy creating in the kitchen and it is common for me to respond to messages later as cake making can be a messy business! Please rest assured I will respond as soon as I am able. As certain times of year get very busy, early bookings are advisable to avoid disappointment. We regret that orders at very short notice are not usually possibly to fulfil and two weeks notice is preferred so I can make sure I hold the relevant equipment
Are YOU REGISTERED?
Van der Shnoodle Cakes is a registered business with Chichester County Council gaining a 5* FSA rating at inspection. I hold all relevant and required qualifications and am insured.
Do you cater for allergies and intolerances?
As I work from my kitchen in our family home, my equipment and tools come into contact with eggs, milk, gluten and other allergens. I therefore CANNOT guarantee that a cake will be completely free from allergens. A Van der Shnoodle cake would not be suitable for those with severe allergies. In addition, we cannot be held responsible for who consumes your cake at your celebration and it is your responsibility to advise your guests the cake contains allergens.
CAN I BOOK IN ADVANCE?
Yes! Please do. In fact the more notice you can provide for your cake, the better, to avoid disappointment. Certain periods of the year are very busy and my diary can become booked up well in advance. You will be asked to pay a deposit to secure your date (deductible from the overall cost of your cake upon collection). Please note your booking is not secured until a deposit has been received. If you cancel your cake less than two weeks before the date your cake is due, we regret the deposit will not be refunded. In the case of wedding cakes, the cancellation period is a month. We regret we are unable to accept orders at very short notice.
How can I pay for my cake?
I accept cash and bank transfer. No VAT is payable on the cakes. To secure your date, a non-refundable payment of £35 is payable for celebration cakes. A payment of £100 is required for wedding cakes. This will be deducted from the overall cost of your cake upon full payment. If an order is placed two weeks or less before the date you require your cake, full payment is required at the time of booking. We regret that if we do not receive your initial payment, we are unable to 'hold' that date for you and the booking has not been completed. This is because we are a small business and we may have turned away other commissions on those dates in order to make your cake. Full payment must be received prior to collecting your cake. If payment is withheld, we will be unable to provide you with your cake. Obviously life throws curve balls sometimes and you may have to cancel your cake due to unforeseeable circumstances. We do of course take a very sympathetic view to such occurrences. Please contact us as soon as you can in the event it is necessary to cancel your cake. In the unlikely event we have to cancel your order due to illness or circumstances beyond our control, we will refund any monies paid in full.
Collection of your cake & TRANSPORTATION
Cakes can be collected from Van der Shnoodle at a mutually agreed time. Please do keep to the agreed date and time as I have family and other commitments and it may not be possible to wait for you. We make every effort to ensure each cake leaves us in perfect condition and once it has been collected, it becomes your responsibility. Cakes are sadly not bombproof and some decorations are unavoidably delicate by nature. Every care should be taken when travelling with a cake, such as driving at lower speeds especially around corners or over speed bumps, and avoiding braking suddenly if possible. We recommend that cakes rest on a flat surface (ie footwell or boot) and precautions are taken to prevent them from falling or sliding around. If you're able to bring a friend along to help with the journey, even better! We recommend that heavy bags or loose objects liable to fall on the cake are removed. (I'm sadly speaking from experience here!) Wedding cakes are inclusive of set up within a 10 mile local radius. Mileage will be charged thereafter.
Photographs & SOCIAL MEDIA
We reserve the right to photograph your cake order before delivery/collection for our own use and reference and feature it, together with any preliminary sketches in our portfolio of work. We can assure you we will NOT feature your cake on social media or our website prior to your event to preserve the element of surprise and full impact of your cake.
DATA PRoTECTION
Your details will only be held and used in conjunction with the making of your cake. I will ask you if you'd like to be contacted in the future regarding future offers or services. If you do not wish to be contacted, please opt out on the Terms & Conditions sheet you will be asked to sign at the point of booking. Please also click on the link contained in the page footers to opt out of third party cookies.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
In the unlikely event of a complaint, a partial or full refund will only be given upon return of the cake within 24 hours of collection/delivery. A minimum of 3/4 of the cake must be returned for assessment and a refund will then be given if there was a fault on the part of Van der Shnoodle. We regret we are unable to address complaints five days or more after the cake was collected/delivered as there would have been no opportunity to try and redress any issues at the time and no fresh cake is available for assessment. Any refunds given are at the discretion of Van der Shnoodle. No refunds can be given regarding artistic differences or due to colour differences as we make every effort to fulfil a design brief agreed with the client prior to collection. Please note colours used in a cake may not be exactly matched to images supplied (although we will try to obtain as close a match as possible) as there are many different brands of colour on the market and some are not permitted for use in the UK due to food safety regulations. We also reserve the right to alter a design requested from an image supplied by the client so as not to offend or infringe copyright of another cake artist. Where figures are required, we will of course try to capture characteristics, but an exact likeness may not be possible. It is not advisable to eat decorations, particularly in the case of figures, models or sugar flowers, as these will often contain non-edible elements. We cannot be held responsible for cakes set up in a doorway or thoroughfare, in extreme drafts/wind or in strong sunlight.
We work very hard to ensure that every cake delights our clients but mistakes do happen sometimes and we are only human! We therefore respectfully ask that in the unlikely event you have cause for complaint, that you please direct your concerns to us directly as soon as you are able via telephone or email rather than on social media, forums or blogs. Full Terms & Conditions will be supplied at time of booking your cake.
If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.
cakes@vandershnoodle.co.uk / 07546 436981